The FS A&F Résumé Makeover: Simple Secrets to Capture Recruiters’ Attention

Your resume holds the power to open doors to career-defining opportunities in the fast-paced financial services sector. This guide arms you with FIVE transformative secrets to craft a resume that positions you as a standout candidate. Leverage proven techniques to optimise your application and showcase your distinctive qualifications, empowering you to navigate the evolving hiring landscape with confidence. Good luck! ??

1?? Tailor your resume for each job application: A generic, one-size-fits-all CV isn’t a good way to grab recruiters’ attention or get past the applicant tracking system aka ATS that checks how closely resumes match the job descriptions. You better incorporate relevant keywords (i.e. submissions of returns, types of funds and project involvement in RBC/IFRS 17/9) and customise your achievements & experiences accordingly to demonstrate your suitability for the position.?

2?? Prioritise relevant experiences and quantifiable achievements: You merely highlight the accomplishments and experiences most relevant to the job you are applying for. Also, finance is a numbers-driven field so it’d be better to use metrics and statistics to quantify your achievements such as reducing cost by a certain percentage, performance metrics and accuracy ratio you or your team have achieved. It will help illustrate your value-add in your previous A&F roles.?

3?? Make your resume easy to read: You should list the most recent job positions at the top and the oldest ones at the bottom of your work experience section. List every job you have had but not those internships (unless you’re a fresh graduate), part-time or temporary jobs. Also, it is of paramount importance to aim for a CV length of two pages even if you have had so many jobs. Keep it concise and just name the ex-employers, job titles, and the dates of employment for those oldest ones at the bottom (if you had multiple jobs in the past)

4?? Proofread meticulously and format consistently: Typos and grammatical errors create a negative impression. If you are sometimes unsure, you may try Grammarly, Languagetool, or other free grammar checkers. They could be a really helpful gatekeeper for your CV refinement. What’s more, your CV should also be presented in an easy-to-read format so don’t use any fancy or multiple fonts which can make your CV appear cluttered. Stick to a clean and simple font that is easy to read, and it will allow us and in-house TAs to quickly scan your CV and pick out the most important and relevant information.?

5?? Keep your resume up-to-date: Put your contact information (legal full name, address, phone number, email address, LinkedIn profile) at the top of the CV page and write a concise overview (2-3 sentences) to highlight your expertise & key qualification i.e. CPA, CFA, FRM. At the bottom of the page, you’d list your academic degrees including the institutions, graduation year, CPA membership number or CPA exam progress.?

For additional interviewing tips, see my previous article on ?Top 3 DOS & DON’TS for Job Interview (A&F)?

#ConnectedGroup #StayConnected #HongKong #banking #A&F #Accounting #Finance #Accountant #CPA #insurance #fund?